Three months earlier…

Paisums, Glencar

“You're stunning.”

“I wish I were you. OH! Your eyes are blue!”

“It must mean you’re pleased! He is a fine fellow and such a lucky one for your father to approve!”

Lilliana Okeāns of Paisums stared in the mirror through her water filled eyes. Her ladies in waiting surrounded her around the platform. A shield of transparent white covered her face. A flowing beaded gown tied her to the ground. The diminutive room usually used for meditation was filled with giggling school girls ogling over the bride to be. With the sweet tongues of her ladies in waiting they pictured themselves being in their mistress' place and wondered what Lily could possibly not approve of. The golden room was filled with trinkets from the man she is supposed to wed tomorrow at dawn.

“Ladies, you must be so excited to see your Princess so happy and magnificent,” The Queen of Paisums entered with grace. Smooth white skin with piercing topaz eyes, lips tight as a duck's arse, and as red as fresh blood. “Ladies, let a loving mother admire her daughter alone.”

“Do your cold stares no longer clear a room?” Lily’s quick tongue couldn’t match to the quickness of the ladies as they left the chamber.

“Oh my sweet Lillianna, how can you be so cruel? I only want what’s best for you. The King of Maldināšana arrives tomorrow at sunrise. Why be such a lemon when you know why we need this. Your people need this, we all are counting on you. Since we no longer have hopes for another child, it is you who has to be the one to bring in the next ruler of Paisums. Now go to sleep so that tomorrow comes quicker. I grow tired of your unruly ways.”

The queen left Lily alone.

Lily lifted the veil out of her vision. She slowly stepped down from the pedestal to touch the unfamiliar face staring at her. Lily’s deep blue eyes could no longer contain the tears and she collapsed into the gown. She looked once again at the mirror, looking for a way to escape this King. King Damiano of Maldināšana has a reputation familiar to every woman in the Land of Glencar. He has had many wives already, unfortunately many daughters as well. His religion did not believe in divorce, but they did believe in death to adultery. Whether his wives really committed the crime or not was of no importance because the word of a king's was never questioned. He was now awarding great wealth for any woman capable of granting him a son. After Queen Aella spent all their palace money with celebrations to avert her eyes on gloomy things, Damiano’s offer was very alluring.

The mirror twinkled from the reflections of the trinkets Damiano had men deliver to her. He was giving tastes of what was to come for his next bride to be. Diamonds, rubies and pearls from around the world were scattered across the room. A room once used for meditation and prayer was now turned to a room of sorrow. She used to come to this room to get away from quarreling parents, but now they used it to trap Lily in material possessions. As she looked at everything collected on the walls she spotted a velvet drape next to the door. She unbuttoned her heavy wedding gown leaving her with a light under dress. She walked to the hidden wonders behind the curtain. The maroon velvet slid to the left and revealed her father’s old war uniform when he was Lily's age. Brown cattle hide covered the entire body and leather belts and storage pockets surround the waist. A loop for daggers hugged the thighs. Branded on the heart was the symbol of Paisums. The symbol felt alive as the waves crashed into the cliff east of the castle. Its tight fit made it easier for the men to swiftly get around their opponent. The head piece’s only opening was the eyes so the opponent could see the warrior's fearless eyes. The head piece was made from an animal’s fur Lily could not determine. It was a lighter brown than the leather of the suit but soft as a rabbit’s coat. It’s rumored that people on the outskirts still wear their uniforms when hunting for boar in the forest west of their lands.

Lily lifted the uniform from its sleep and slipped it on.

She walked to the mirror and placed the head piece on.

The blue of her eyes started to change to a deep green.

Her plan was set.